I hope that Ye Yongqings sincere apology not only praised the critics of his works, but also hurt the collectors who bought his works with real gold and silver. Liu Yiqian, a well-known collector in Shanghai, said in an interview with Peng Mei News Art Review yesterday that he (and his wifes Dragon Art Museum) spent more than 10 million yuan to buy four works of Ye Yongqing in different periods. The most expensive one is The Puzzlement of Escape, which was shot at 6.67 million yuan from the auction house in 2011. I never thought about returning the goods, but the plagiarism caused me confusion. In the future, the Dragon Art Museum will not exhibit Ye Yongqings works. How to write the signature? I hope Ye Yongqing can consider the feelings of Belgian artists, collectors and the public and apologize to the public. Liu Yiqian said that he was also considering inviting Belgian artist Stephen Silvan to exhibit at the Shanghai Dragon Art Museum at the right time.

As one of the founders of Shanghai Dragon Art Museum, Liu Yiqian has become a social hot spot for many times at auction. In recent years, as one of the landmark galleries on the West Bank Art Gallery, the Dragon Art Museum has launched a series of solo exhibitions of western contemporary artists, and has combed the 40-year development of Chinese contemporary art with its collection. Ye Yongqings The Puzzlement of Escape was displayed in the Turning Point - Forty Years of Contemporary Chinese Art held in June 2018 at the Dragon Art Museum.

Liu Yiqian said that he and the Dragon Art Museum had also purchased Ye Yongqings works copied from Belgian artists for less than one million yuan. If they knew it was plagiarism, they would not have purchased them at that time. This is cheating! Has he considered the feelings of collectors who bought works with real gold and silver? He thought that although he would not return the goods, the plagiarism of works of art was more harmful than the plagiarism of academic papers. The harm is more obvious, because it causes the direct loss of the purchasers wealth.

Dragon Art Museum (West Bank Museum) Turning Point - Forty Years of Contemporary Chinese Art exhibition site, from left to right are works by Chen Danqing, Mao Xuhui, Ye Yongqing and Meng Luding. Dragon Museum

Liu Yiqian Accepts an Interview with Peng Mei News

Plagiarism of works of art is deception, which directly results in the loss of wealth of buyers.

Peng Mei News: As a collector, what do you think of Ye Yongqings plagiarism exploded? How did you think of collecting his paintings at that time?

Liu Yiqian: The four works of Ye Yongqing collected by the Dragon Art Museum were not purchased by him, but were basically auctioned off. Ye Yongqing has a good relationship with the Dragon Art Museum. Director Wang Wei wants to build a complete collection of contemporary Chinese art, so he purchased works from different periods.

From my point of view, the portraits of him and Belgian artist Stephen Silvan are twins and I think they are naked plagiarism. And Belgian artists have pointed it out publicly, but Ye Yongqing has not yet responded to the apology.

Ye Yongqings plagiarism has not just come out. It is said that when he held an exhibition in Germany in 1996, the artists who had been plagiarized had found him and the works on display had been withdrawn. So for Ye Yongqing himself, he fully knows that it is plagiarism. But at that time, the media was not as developed as it is now. Ye Yongqing has held more than 30 exhibitions in China since then, including the latest one. Ye Yongqings solo exhibition at the Yu Deyao Art Museum in Shanghai last year (exhibition title: Ye Yongqing 1982-1992 when nothing happened). Curator Wu Hong also asked Ye Yongqing at that time: How did your painting style change at that time, as if it were European style? Ye Yongqings answer was: When I was confused, I went to Europe and suddenly got inspiration.

Ye Yongqings Exhibition Poster 1982-1992 Years of Nonexistence

Peng Mei News: What do you think of Ye Yongqings silence so far?

Liu Yiqian: Up to now, Ye Yongqing has not spoken of plagiarism, which makes everyone very passive, including me who bought his works. Firstly, I am not sure whether his works can be exhibited or not; secondly, whether his works are wanted or not is the harm to our collectors caused by his plagiarism. This is not equivalent to academic plagiarism. Academic plagiarism is only a matter of academic status, and the plagiarism of works of art directly causes the loss of wealth of others.

Including the two days before I saw Li Xiantings apology statement, the critics did not know his behavior at that time, and now it is like eating flies. The person who helped him organize the exhibition and write the article apologized. Its a bit too much that he still doesnt apologize and dont speak up. Besides, some voices of excuse simply have no minimum standard of right and wrong, they just copied it.

Peng Mei News: It is said that people who collect Ye Yongqings paintings are preparing to return them. Do you have such an idea?

Liu Yiqian: Actually, some people want me not to speak publicly at this time. First of all, I said: I dont return the goods, but Ye Yongqing is not only a painter, but also a professor of Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts. Events have developed so far that he has not even apologized. I think as an intellectuals and a scholar, we should face up to our famous deeds openly. How do you deal with students?!

Who is right? He should admit and apologize. He should apologize to those who planned the exhibition for him. His works made some art critics look bad. They all said they didnt know. I think they did, but Ye Yongqings actions hurt this group.

Another Ye Yongqing Works Purchased by Liu Yiqian and Long Art Museum

Plagiarism or Misappropriation? Artistic reference is not copying

Peng Mei News: In the development of Chinese contemporary art, there is indeed a reference to Western art, but that reference should be totally different from Ye Yongqings.

Liu Yiqian: The 40-year development of Chinese contemporary art is indeed a process of learning from the West. It is understandable to draw lessons from it, but learning does not mean copying, let alone publicly selling such works in the market.

I think there have been many media reports about academic fraud in entertainment circles recently. Ye Yongqing is a fraud in art circles. I saw a well-known Japanese artist, Hirohiko Tada, withdraw his award, cancel his painting exhibition and dismiss his school from office because of plagiarism.

A Relevant Report of Japanese Artist Ichihiko Hotan

I also know that contemporary art plagiarism may not only be Ye Yongqing, but if such plagiarism is so bad, it is known to him now! You can not because there are plagiarists in the industry, you also plagiarism, he also plagiarism, think Ye Yongqing is not plagiarism. This has hurt the Chinese contemporary art circle and put a lot of artists under great pressure.

Originally, this matter is not difficult to solve. Ye Yongqing, as a star in the art circle, can speak up earlier and admit his mistakes, but the problem is that he has been silent, which leads to the passivity of Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts. Whether Chuanmei will deal with academic misconduct is also a matter of concern.

Of course, Ye Yongqings most valuable works are those simple rural paintings in the 1980s, followed by these plagiarism works. I also heard his wife explain that in the early 1990s, they were relatively poor. At that time, they cost 1,000 yuan each. In the early 1990s, was a thousand yuan still small? Besides, could poor people copy others? It was hard to say that the days were hard, and then the price increase was nothing to do with him. Who hasnt suffered? Plagiarism is plagiarism, dont make any further distinction. Be responsible to everyone who buys your work and respect others.

Peng Mei News: Did you buy a collage of Ye Yongqings works that were exploded as plagiarism?

Liu Yiqian: One picture cost less than one million yuan. I heard that Ye Yongqing bought more than 20 million yuan for a collage of this series. Although the money may not necessarily go into his pocket, the collector actually spent 20 million yuan. After hearing about the Belgian artists statement, Ye Yongqing also hired a lawyer for fear of Belgian artists claim, but this is not to deny. If he doesnt respond or apologize, I plan to invite Belgian artists to the Dragon Gallery for exhibition. Later, Ye Yongqings exhibition works were written directly as plagiarism.

Left: Works of Belgian artist Silvan, 1990 Right: Works of Ye Yongqing, 1994

Peng Mei News: Do you think similar incidents in Chinese contemporary art will happen in the future?

Liu Yiqian: With the development of information, more and more exchanges between China and the West have taken place. But I think it is almost impossible to plagiarize like Ye Yongqing in the future, because I dare not. If it werent for the current information boom, Ye Yongqings case would not be exposed, nor would the plagiarists come to our door.

Reflections on Interests and Right and Wrong

Peng Mei News: Do you think this event has any impact on Chinese contemporary art?

Ye Yongqing, as an artist with some fame, has made the general impression of Chinese contemporary art very bad. His actions hurt critics, too, because the Criticspraise for this series of works is equivalent to that of a Belgian painter - and less well-known painter, who now sells a work for 6,000 euros. Ye Yongqing deceived everyone. I hope he can explain to the public, students and collectors.

There is also the so-called conspiracy theory, which is the Western oppression of contemporary Chinese art. Others say that if Ye Yongqing apologizes, Chinese contemporary art will go back to zero in 30 years. I think if this 30 years is so plagiarized, then go back to zero. But I believe its a case. Its a personal moral defect, not a problem for the whole contemporary art community.

With the development of Chinese contemporary art, I hope that it can be more and more standardized and good works more and more. But the work of an artist is to create. If the work of an artist is plagiarism, what kind of artist is it? But Ye Yongqing has been concealing it for decades, and regards plagiarism as the originality and the darling of the market. This is deception!

At present, Ye Yongqing has not yet apologized. I also heard some different voices defending him. It may also be related to the interests of acting for his gallery, institutions and other aspects. If Ye Yongqing admits that he is wrong, he may face a series of problems such as returning goods.

Peng Mei News: What lessons and reflections do you have on your future collection?

Liu Yiqian: The Dragon Museum collects a series of contemporary Chinese art. In addition to some special works, I may add some more. I will mainly buy the works of young people in the future. Of course, up to now, I think Mr. Ye Yongqings intention of plagiarism may not be to harm others, but his attitude is too problematic after the incident, and it is impossible for him to be understood by collectors, art lovers and the public. Maybe he just wanted to speculate, and the Belgian painters style matched his experience. Later, however, his works of this period were promoted as representative works, and their nature was different. Today, with such an attitude, things are quite different. At present, the spotlights are focused in his doorway, and he still hides in silence. Can he hide? He should thoroughly reflect now, and give the public a real attitude! Source of this article: Peng Mei News Responsible Editor: Xun Jianguo_N7379

Liu Yiqian: The Dragon Museum collects a series of contemporary Chinese art. In addition to some special works, I may add some more. I will mainly buy the works of young people in the future.

Of course, up to now, I think Mr. Ye Yongqings intention of plagiarism may not be to harm others, but his attitude is too problematic after the incident, and it is impossible for him to be understood by collectors, art lovers and the public. Maybe he just wanted to speculate, and the Belgian painters style matched his experience. Later, however, his works of this period were promoted as representative works, and their nature was different. Today, with such an attitude, things are quite different. At present, the spotlights are focused in his doorway, and he still hides in silence. Can he hide? Now he should thoroughly reflect, and give the public a real attitude!